1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a control method therefor, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, computer networks (hereinafter simply referred to as “networks”) via which a plurality of computers are interconnected have been widely used. Such a network can be constructed on a floor of a building or in an entire building, in a group of buildings (local area), or over a wider area. Further, such networks are interconnected to form a global network, i.e. the so-called “Internet”.
In many cases, connected to a network are not only computers, but also computer peripheral devices (printing apparatuses), such as printers, facsimiles, and copying machines, so that these computer peripheral devices can used over the network.
Printing via a network (network printing) is advantageous in that the use of a large-sized high-speed printer or an expensive color printer can be shared for use by a plurality of computers and that printing can be performed from a remote place. Therefore, recently, the network printing has come into widespread use.
Further, recent copying machines have not only a function of copying originals, but also a function of performing a print job from an external client and a function of electronically transmitting a scanned original to an external apparatus by e-mail or using a file transfer function. This type of copying machine is called the MFP (Multi Function Peripheral).
While multi-functional copying machines (MFPs) have come into use, the risk of information leakage is increased due to development of the function of sending scanned information to an external apparatus, which brings about administration problems.
There have been proposed several means for solving the administration problems.
For example, there has been proposed an access control technique in which each user is managed by an ID, and available functions, resources, and time are controlled i.e. restricted on an ID-by-ID basis (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-134136). Further, there has also been proposed a technique in which access policy information is issued to an authenticated user (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2004-185629).
Due to a plurality of factors including the above-mentioned security factor, and personalization as a factor from a different viewpoint, it is becoming very import for MFPs as shared-type office apparatuses to be designed for multi-user use.
An embodiment of such an MFP has been disclosed in which session management associated with a user is performed by causing a user to log in to the MFP by entering the user's own user name and password for authentication and approval, and log out when terminating the use of the MFP.
During this session, the MFP is required to execute access control based on the approval information on the logged-in user and personalize operating screens and an operating method based on property information of the logged-in user. Furthermore, to improve productivity, the MFP is required to execute a job efficiently even after logout of the user, while considering security and user-friendliness.
Several techniques have already been proposed for such session management.
For example, a method has been proposed in which logout processing is disabled according to the state of a job (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-65200). Further, a personalization technique has been proposed in which when a user logs in, an appropriate menu is displayed, based on whether or not a job is being executed by another user (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-120143).
As an example of the MFP in which access to functions is controlled on a user-by-user basis as described hereinabove, a discussion will be made on an MFP equipped with the copy, scan, and box (storage) functions. For example, in a case where a user A authorized to use all the functions logs out with a scan job left under execution, and then a user B who logs in next is authorized to use only the copy function, the user B is kept waiting until the preceding scan job terminates.
A first problem is concerning a job requiring some operational instruction from the start of execution of the job and before the end of the same (this type of job will be hereinafter referred to as “the interactive job”). An example of the interactive job is a job designated for performing a continuous scan operation in which a plurality of originals are scanned by manually replacing one original with another on the original platen glass of an MFP and then inputting a scan instruction. Another example of the interactive job is an original preview job in which a scanned original image is displayed on the display unit of the MFP after completion of original scanning, and then after checking the scanned original image, the user proceeds to next processing. Further, a test copy job in which when printing out a plurality of copies in a copy job, a first copy of the printout is checked, and then an instruction for printing out the remaining copies is given is also an example of the interactive job.
In the above-described example, the preceding scan job being executed by the user A in the above example is an interactive job. Now, the case in which the MFP is at rest in a state awaiting acceptance of an operational instruction from the user A will be considered. If the user B were capable of giving some operational instruction for the scan job suspended awaiting a user instruction, it would be possible to resume the operation of the preceding scan job. However, the user B cannot operate the scan job, because when the user B, who is unauthorized to operate the scan function, logs in to the MFP, an operating screen for operating the scan function is not displayed. For this reason, the preceding scan job does not terminate, remaining in a state awaiting the operational instruction from the user A, which hinders the user B form executing a copy job using the copy function which the user B is authorized to use.
A second problem is concerning occurrence of an original jam during scan operation. In the above example, the user B is unauthorized to operate the scan job, and hence cannot carry out an operation for restoring the job from the standby state even after the MFP has recovered from the original jam. This makes it impossible for the user B to execute even a copy job which the user B is authorized to execute.
As a conventional technique for solving such a problem of scan job, a method of disabling logout during scanning has been disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-65200. According to the prior art, however, in the case of dealing with numerous originals, a user is required to stay beside the MFP until termination of scanning when considering security.
For this reason, it is not possible to satisfy the use case of executing one job and then starting another, which impairs user-friendliness and degrades productivity of the MFP. Further, no technique has been disclosed which improves the productivity of the MFP based on settings of a job being under execution when a user logs out.